Eighteen Years Later
by DanaCardinal
Summary: It had been eighteen years since anyone had seen hide or hair of the Winx Club. It isn't until Faragonda takes a day trip to Earth does she discover the truth about what happened to the missing girls. They were alive and on Earth, married with children. With the teenage daughters of the Winx attending Alfea, families are reunited and the Specialists must face those they wronged.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Winx Club. Note, this story verse takes place before seasons 7 and 8.**

**Chapter 1**

Faragonda stared out her window at the falling rain. Eighteen years of peace with no aparent attacks from villains seeking to control of destroy the magic dimention. But it had also been eighteen years since the band of students known as the Winx had disappeared. No one had any idea what had happened, they had just disappeared one day, vanished into the night like they had never been there. Their families hadn't heard from them and the Specialists... Faragonda scowled, the less said about those boys the better. They hadn't seemed at all concerned about the disappearance of their girlfriends. But still, eighteen years and just nothing, no sign of any of the girls, they were just gone. Faragonda rubbed her face, rising to her feet, she needed a break. School was starting soon and somehow, everything was read to go for the start of the school year early. She could leave the school for a bit, just to get some fresh air somewhere sunny and warm. For some reason, Earth seemed like the place to go.

She arrived without any fanfare, appearing near a beach by the ocean. It was late afternoon by the looks of it but still quite warm. She walked along the beach for a while, listening to the waves as they crashed on the beach. She was startled when she heard a familiar voice shouting for someone to bring out a tablecloth. She ran towards, the voice but ducked behind a tree not to be seen. The man was tall with dark magenta hair that was shaved along the sides and in the back but spiked at the top. He didn't have to turn around for her to know that it was Riven. He was standing by a picnic table, looking towards a house waiting for someone. What was Riven doing on Earth? Faragonda hadn't seen him in nearly nineteen years.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Jeez, Mr. Impatient," another voice said, filled with fond exasperation.

Faragonda turned towards the new voice and saw another man coming out of the house. He was tall with pale skin, black hair and bright brown eyes. He had a tablecloth and several other items in his hands. Riven let out a huffing laugh before moving to help out the other man.

"Why do we even need a tablecloth, Riven?"

"Two reasons Takashi, one being Stella and the other being the kids. I must confess, Laurel takes after me when eating ice cream, it gets everywhere."

"So, the plastic tablecloth just makes everything more easier when it comes to cleanup?"  
"Yeah, pretty much. I also think it looks pretty because we haven't painted the table yet."

"Those paint cans we have in the basement are going to keep gathering dust until _someone_ gets off his lazy ass and paints the table."

"Hey, you love my ass!"

Faragonda watched the exchange with a small frown, in all her years of knowing Riven, she had never seen the boy, no man now, act like this around anyone with the exception of Musa.

"I know, I do. Why do you think I married you?"

"Oh, I don't know, for my stunning personality?"  
"That too."

Faragonda startled at that revelation. Riven liked boys? But he dated Musa and Darcy? She glanced at the mens hands, and sure enough, there were a pair of matching wedding rings. The Faragonda nearly jumped out of her skin when the door banged open and a girl with the same magenta hair as Riven burst out shouting:

"DADS! Enji stole a cookie from the cookie tin!"

The girl looked to be around ten years old and while she had Riven's hair colour and eye shape, she had brown eyes and looked more like the black haired man, _Takashi, _Faragonda's brain supplied.

"No, I didn't you liar! Don't listen to her dads!"

The second voice belonged to a boy, possibly around twelve as he came bursting out of the door. He had black hair and brown eyes like Takashi but everything else belonged to Riven from the skin colour to facial structure. The two kids continued to shout over each other as Riven and Takashi sighed simultaneously. Takashi, looked at Riven and said:

"Your turn."

"This is payback for last week's movie debacle, isn't it?"  
"I plead the fifth. Now deal with your kids."  
"Before sunset on a Friday, they're your kids."  
"Riven..."

There was a sigh before Riven put his hands on his hips and said:

"Alright kids, that's enough!" The boy and the girl both stopped yelling. "Okay, Laurel you go first. What happened?"  
"Enji stole a cookie. I saw him take it from the cookie jar."

"Is that true, Enji?"  
"No!"

Riven didn't seem convinced by the speed of his son's answer. He raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, I did. But I didn't steal it for me, it's for Rei!"

"Of course Rei's involved."

"She likes peanut butter cookies! I worked hard on them but _someone_ ate them all." Enji shot a glare at his sister.

"You didn't say they were for Rei!"

"I put a note on the cookie jar!"

"Kids! Enough."

"Sorry dad."

"Okay, so we've established that Enji stole a cookie for Rei. Enji, are there any more cookies left?"  
"No. Slimer over there ate them all."

Before Riven could scold his son for insulting his sister, a voice called out:

"Hey! Anybody here?"

"Calliope!" The two kids shouted at the same time.

"Come on through, kid!" Riven called out.

A young girl around eighteen came around the side of the house and Faragonda gaped. She had dark magenta hair that was styled in a pair of short ponytails and navy coloured eyes. Another girl, who looked identical to the first but with shoulder length hair waved cheerily at the kids.

"Aria!"

"Hey short stacks!" the girl named Aria said cheerily.

"Hey Callie," Takashi greeted.

"Hey Takashi, hey dad."

Faragonda's mouth fell open, were these two girls Riven's daughters?

"Hey, where's the rest of the Yamamoto clan?" Riven asked

"Dad's with Rei and Minako. Mom's getting the stuff out of the trunk," Aria responded.

"You hear that Enji... Rei's here."

"Be quiet Laurel."

"Enji and Rei sitting in a tree, K-I-S-SI-N-G!"

A grin crossed Calliope's face as she made her way to the singing redhead, picking her up and slinging her over one shoulder.

"Laurel, don't tease your brother. You know what happens to sisters who tease their brothers. They get dunked in the ocean!"

"No! Calliope! No! I don't wanna get wet!" The girl's protests were muffled by her laughter.

Calliope laughed brightly, as she strode towards the ocean. Enji laughed loudly as his sister struggled feebly, even though she was laughing. Enji then yelped as Aria scooped him up and sprinted towards the ocean as she shouted:

"Brothers who laugh at their sisters also have to take a swim!"

Faragonda turned away from the kids to see a man with black hair and grey eyes walking with two little girls who were about twelve. Both had black hair and grey eyes and were both smiling widely. The woman who was bringing up the rear nearly had Faragonda gaping again. Even though eighteen years had past, Musa still looked the same. Her black hair was pulled into it's usual ponytail and her navy eyes were bright and shining. She had aged slightly, laughter lines were etched gently on her face and she had gained a bit of weight. She was holding a basket in one hand and a guitar in another. She greeted both Takashi and Riven with warm hugs and a smile.

"I see the girls got at Enji and Laurel," Musa teased lightly.

"Yep. Good to see you and Itsuki again, Musa," Riven said.

"I'm glad we do this, you know that right?" The other black haired man that wasn't Takashi said.

"Me too, Itsuki, me too," Takashi said.

In the distance, Aria and Calliope tossed Laurel and Enji into the water. Musa giggled and rested her head on Itsuki's shoulder.

"Mom, can I go help Enji splash Aria?" One of the little girls asked.

"Go ahead Rei. You and Minako can go play but don't go too far out."

"Thanks mom," Rei called. "Hang on Enji, I'm coming!"

Musa shook her head as she watched her daughters run towards their older sisters, intent on getting them wet.

"I'm surprised you guys got here first. I would have guessed Bloom and Kali would have been the first to arrive."

"Yeah, normally they're the first people at these gatherings."

"Bloom texted me a few minutes ago, said she and Kali got caught in traffic. They may be a little late."

"Gotta love that LA traffic."

Musa started laughing at Riven's comment and rested her head on Itsuki's shoulder. Even though he and Takashi looked similar, they were still different. Itsuki wasn't as muscular as Takashi and wore glasses. Takashi was thinner but more muscular than Itsuki. Faragonda also noticed the matching wedding rings on Musa and Itsuki's fingers. Both were silve but had a single ruby in the middle.

"I should probably put the food away in the fridge for the time being until everyone else gets here," Musa said

"You do that, I'll help set up out here."

Musa grabbed the basket and headed towards the house. The three men turned back to the picnic table and finished getting the plates and cutlery onto the table. They talked about how their kids were doing and how work was going. They made references to previous meetups but Faragonda's mind was elsewhere. Musa had been on Earth this whole time? And she had kids? With Riven? But wasn't married to him? And was married to a different man and had two kids with said other man? And Riven seemed so okay with it, Faragonda remembered how possessive he had been over Musa before. Musa had mentioned Bloom and someone named Kali, was Bloom here too? Did that mean that the other girls were on Earth too? Did they also have kids? What was going on?

Faragonda was knocked clean out of her thoughts by a loud, cheery voice calling out:

"Hello! Anybody here?"

"We're back here, Stella!" Riven called back

Faragonda watched as Stella walked out from the side of the house. Like Musa, she didn't appear to have aged much. She was still blonde, golden-eyed, tanned and smiling. She was accompanied by a man with ash blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Two teenage girls with dark brown hair and Stella's golden eyes followed behind Stella and the other man. One of the girls, the one with the short brown hair and blue streaks was carrying a boy with Stella's blonde hair on her shoulders. The other brunette, the one with the long hair was walking with two other kids, two girls, one looking like the boy on the second teenager's shoulders and the other girl hair lighter blonde hair.

"Hey Stella, Dmitri."

"Hello Riven, Takashi and Itsuki. Lovely to see you all again

"From the water, Minako called out:

"Apollo, Artemis, Sasha! Come and play!"

"Helena, Ayla, come on. We need more people to beat these shrimps in a water war!" Aria called out.

"I say that's your cue to go play kids," Stella's male companion, Dmitri said.

"Thanks dad!" one of the little girls shouted as the five of them ran towards the water.

"Was that Stella I heard?" Musa asked coming out of the house.

"Musa! I missed you so much!" Stella shouted as she ran to hug her friend.

"You saw me last week."

"I know but I missed you."

"Missed you too Stella."

"Where's Bloom and Kali?"

"Stuck in traffic. Who knows when they'll get here."

"Well, they do live in LA, traffic is expected."

Stella wandered over to the picnic table and plopped down, her hands rubbing at her face gently. She looked tired, like it had been a few days since she had slept last. Musa also took the time to sit beside her friend, pulling at her ponytail loose.

"You guys want anything to drink?"

"I'll take a water if you're offering, Riven," another voice said slyly.

"Aisha!" Musa and Stella shouted, jumping up from their spots at the table and throwing their arms around her.

"No hugs for us?" A man who Faragonda recognized to be Roy asked.

He was standing beside two teenage girls, two little boys and a young girl. Aisha's and that of her family's arrival seemed to trigger the arrival of Flora, Tecna and their respective families. Soon the entire section of beach that made up Riven's backyard was filled with people. The kids were playing in the water, the adults were all talking at the table, there was food on a couple of tables on the porch and Riven was grilling some meat on the barbecue. Everyone was having a good time talking to each other but Stella would glance at the gate to the house, keeping an eye out for Bloom and her family.

Eventually, a familiar head of red hair appeared at the gate, with a group of people in tow. Bloom didn't appear to have changed much, looking like the other girls in terms of age. Greetings and hugs were exchanged and the kids ran off to play while the teenagers went to chat with each other. Bloom settled into a conversation with Aisha and Tecna, like she had always been there.

All Faragonda could really do was observe the girls and their family members. Did the girls know that they were missed by the magic dimension? Did they know that their families still looked for them? And why had they left? Was it because of the teenager girls who were talking and playing with the kids? And who were their significant others? Roy was familiar but the other men and women weren't. Faragonda was so lost in thought that she didn't see one of Bloom's daughters walking around the tree that she was hiding behind until it was too late.

"Well well well, what have we here? MOM!"

Faragonda yelped and jumped, stepping out from her hiding place. And into the direct line of sight of her missing students.

"Mrs. F?" Flora asked.

"What are you doing here?" Musa asked

"I should be asking you the same thing. What are you doing here? Who are these people and more importantly, why did you leave?"

The girls bit their lips, while the significant others looked tense and angry and the teens were defensive. Bloom eventually spoke up:

"Well, it's a bit of a long story."

"I have all the time in the world, my dear."

**Okay, setting a few things straight, yes I'm back writing Winx Club. This has no connection to These Last Sixteen Years, which has been discontinued. This is a bit more complex than These Last Sixteen Years. I will be working on a prequel to this to give you some context with what's going on and introduce the new characters. I hope you all enjoyed. So please read and maybe leave a review. Later, Dana.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Winx Club. Before anyone mentions seasons 7 or 8, I haven't seen either. I tried to watch season 7 but it didn't keep my interest for very long and the new voices are... frankly, a little annoying.**

**Chapter 2**

Faragonda sat down and listened to the Winx as they began their tale. They spoke in turn, making sure to include everyone's point of view and perspectives. Sometimes, one of the other girls would add something that someone missed but for the most part, they took turns talking. Sometimes Riven or Roy would speak up, adding in their own experiences to the mix. By the end of the tale, everything was on the table. Each of the Winx stared directly at Faragonda, waiting for her to speak. Faragonda opened her mouth, holding what she wanted to say in her throat for a long time.

"Are you returning to the magic dimension?" Faragonda asked. "You are needed back to resume your duties as protectors of the magic dimension. And maybe to continue your studies. And of course, your daughters are welcome at Alfea. Your families have been hoping for your return, and, the specialists of course."

It seemed like that was the wrong thing to say because Bloom's blue eyes narrowed sharply and the other girls looked angry. Bloom slowly reached up and rubbed at her face but it was Flora who spoke up:

"I'm afraid that we can't do that."

"Why not?"  
"Because it has been, last I checked, nearly twenty years since we last suited up to protect the magic dimension. And, we all have our own responsibilities on Earth to our jobs and our families."

"Yeah, I mean, I can't up and leave my job. I'm fire chief in LA and I can't just drop everything and leave my job, not without a seriously good reason," Bloom said.

"I have a big fashion show coming up. I need to be there."

"My tech company is unveiling a new product, this week. I can't leave because I am the one doing all the unveiling."

"I have a massive order for a wedding arrangement going out of the shop. It's all hands on deck because the wedding is Tuesday and we still don't have all the flowers ready."

"I have a surfing contest coming up, I'm in it. And I have stuff at the gym that needs taking care of."

"I'm dropping a new album this week. An interdimentional road trip was most definitely on any of our agendas. And if it involves certain peoples deadbeat ex-boyfriends, it definitely was not going to be on anyone's agenda," That last sentence was given in a low mutter and a heavy scowl.

"And what makes you think our daughters want to go to Alfea?" Dmitri asked sharply. "And in that same note, why would we even send them there, they are already attending school."

"You can also say that there will be a political shit storm too, dad," Helena pointed out. "There are two heirs to different kingdoms here, between mom and Aisha, who knows what would happen if they returned with us in tow after nearly eighteen years of being missing."

"And then there's Bloom and by extent, Flare and Alice, she might not have been an heir to any throne but she sure as hell was engaged to one," Ayla pointed out.

Alice, who had been quiet throughout the entire affair spoke up for the first time.

"Which is why returning may be a wise idea," Alice said quietly.

"Alice, have you gone nuts?" Flora's daughter Erica asked.

"Hear me out, look, I think we all knew this would happen, either consciously or unconsciously, we all knew this day would come. And it finally has, Stella, Aisha and even mom, you're royalty, and this is more Stella and Aisha more than you mom, no offense, you two would have had to go back to your respective worlds to ascend the throne once your parents passed on."

"Well, what do you suggest Alice," Violet asked.

"As Helena pointed out, there's going to be a massive shit storm surrounding our moms, doesn't matter if they go back alone and keep us secret or if they go back with our whole familes. My proposal is that you send us," Alice pointed at the collection of teenage girls, "ahead first. That way, we can scout out the landscape that our families will be returning too. Calliope, since she isn't a fairy, can stay on Earth, we'll send her updates and she can fill in our families."

"Wow Alice, I love being reduced to messenger girl," Calliope huffed.  
"I didn't mean..."  
"I know. I'm messing with you. I'd rather stay here, personally, someone has to look out for our younger siblings. Besides, I'm not interested in attending Cloud Tower anyway."

There was a a pause as Faragonda processed that information. She turned to Calliope and said:

"You're a witch."

"Yup. I know it would be a surprise, daughter of one of the Winx being a witch but, it happens," Calliope snarked.

"Can we get back to the issue at hand?" Tecna's daughter Lara asked.

"Sorry, Lara, do you or Lisa have anything to add?" Calliope's sister Aria asked.

"Frankly, I agree with Alice. This day would have come eventually, it might have come tomorrow or in a month or in a year. It would have happened eventually. Logically, just us going back and scouting out what kind of situation our families would be returning too, both politically and socially, would be the wisest idea," Lara said.

"I get politically Lar, but socially? You've lost me honey," Violet said.

"Look at it this way Violet, there may be some social taboos that would cause trouble when it's revealed. Bloom and Kali, Riven and Itsuki, and Flora and Luisa, all of them are married to a member of the same sex. Flare and Malia are both dating girls. And Anne, I mean, she's got enough issues here, she doesn't need any more dumped on her because of who she is," Lisa finished with a sigh.

Faragonda blinked, unsure of the meanings behind Lisa's words. She looked at Aisha, who's hand was resting on her youngest daughter's shoulder. There was an air of ferocity to eyes while her face remained neutral. Roy and Aisha's sons also shared the same look that Aisha was sporting in her eyes. Her oldest daughters, Petra and Malia, were nodding at Lisa's words. Flora's wife Luisa, rubbed her neck, biting her lip before she spoke:

"I don't know kids, I'm not sure how comfortable I am with this. This is ultimately your choice but I'm still a little nervous about the whole thing."

The other spouses of the Winx, minus Roy all looked concerned and apprehensive. Riven understood, he was worried about Aria getting into trouble in Magix but his concern probably wasn't reaching the levels that Itsuki was feeling. Then, an idea popped into his head:

"Here's an idea, why don't we all go to Magix. All of us on a big ass trip..."  
"Swear jar, Riven," Takashi said.

"Yes dear. All of us on a big ol' trip to Magix. The girls can show you all around Alfea, and answer all your questions about what goes on over there. I can take my family to Red Fountain, show them around and then we meet up and discuss our next move. How does that sound?"

"That sounds like a great idea Riven. And it'll give us all some information to go on instead of nothing at all," Kali said.

The other spouses all looked at each other, nodding in agreement.

"Then it's settled. Does next week work?" Stella asked.

"Next week works just fine, dear," Faragonda stated.

"We'll see you in a week then," Tecna said.

"See you in a week. I'll leave you to your gathering."

Faragonda stood up and walked away. She only paused of a minute to look back at the group. They had all gone back to what they were doing but there was something wrong with the sight now. Where it had been a happy occasion, there was now a cloud of worry and apprehension over the group. Faragonda teleported back to Magix once she was out of sight from the group, she had a feeling that she was being watched by someone. Once she was back at Alfea, she grabbed a bottle of whiskey that she had received for her birthday last year and opened it. She needed a drink.

...

Tecna unlocked the front door and walked inside, her family close behind. She toed off her shoes before carrying Marie, who had fallen alseep in the car upstairs to her room on the second floor, Marie's sister Odette close behind. She heard the door to Odette's room close as she got her youngest child ready for bed. She kissed Marie good night on the forehead before checking on Odette, who had crawled into bed.

"Goodnight mommy."

"Goodnight Odette. Sleep well."

"I will."

As Tecna is heading down the stairs, she bumps into Lisa coming up. Tecna backs up to the top of the stairs and waits for her daughter to finish her ascent. Lisa's hair is wet and she smells faintly of grapefruit, indicative of her exiting the shower. Lisa then pulls her mother into a hug, resting her chin on Tecna's shoulder.

"You alright?" Tecna asked.

"I don't know. It's all so confusing, there's so much happening and so much that's going to happen, I don't know how to deal with it," Lisa's voice was quiet.

"We can discuss this more in the morning. When we're all awake and feeling less overwhelmed, okay?"

"Yeah. That works for me. I'll see you in the morning mum."

"Goodnight Lisa, get some sleep."

Lisa hugged her mother once more before trudging off towards her room. Tecna headed back downstairs and into the kitchen where Lara was leaning against the fridge talking with her father about something. Upon seeing her mother, she hugged her father before hugging her mother and bidding them both goodnight. Tecna sat down at the island and watched her husband make tea. Henri was very methodical when he worked, be it writing code or making something as simple. It was one of many reasons she had fallen in love with him, in the first place. He placed the tea in front of her before taking a seat on her right.

"What's on you mind? You've got your, "I'm trying not to look worried but am worried anyway" face on," Henri asked.

"I am worried about the girls, how the others are taking this whole thing. I mean, I always knew this would happen eventually, it was inevitable that one day we would have to return to the Magic Dimension but, I will admit that I was hoping that day would come later in the future, when our children were older. And there's the chance of Lisa and Lara running into... you know..."

"Their biological father?"  
"Yes. While Lisa and Lara don't share the animosity that Alice and Flare have towards Sky or Malia and Petra towards Nex, I know that Lisa and Lara have their own issues surrounding Timmy and his biological relation to them. "

"You worried about them having an identity crisis? Or that their issues with Timmy might turn into the same sort of violent animosity that Flare and Malia have for their fathers?"

"A bit of both I guess. Lisa and Lara are confident in their identities as people but, they've only ever had one father and that would be you, Henri. This might cause them some doubt about who they are, really. And as for the potential of violent animosity, I really don't know what they'll do if they meet Timmy. They might not recognize his as their father considering they take more after me in terms of physical appearance. But they have his eyes, and his skin tone and Lara has his eyesight."

"Is there anything else you're worried about?"  
"That's about it to be honest. I mean, they might meet Timmy, they might not meet him. There is no way to tell. Things might go horribly wrong while the girls are in Magix or nothing will happen. We can't know what's going to happen."  
"I agree whole heartedly. But, until then, we should help them get ready for what is coming up. And we can't do that, without a good nights sleep."

Tecna smiled at her husband and finished her tea. She placed her mug in the dishwasher before taking Henri's hand and walking towards their bedroom, hand in hand; with her head resting on his shoulder. They would get through this together, they had too.

...

Musa stretched as she exited the car, rolling her head against her shoulders to work out the tension. From the corner of her eye, she could see Itsuki pulling Rei out of her seat and Aria doing the same for Minako, both of whom had fallen asleep. Calliope unlocked the door and flipped on the hall light, leading the way for her parents and sister to enter the house. Once everyone was inside with their shoes off, Calliope kissed her younger sisters on the forehead and bade her parents goodnight as she walked up the stairs to her room. She could hear her father and older sister carrying her younger sisters to their rooms to get them into bed. She flopped down onto her bed and waited patiently, soon there was a quiet knock on her door. She didn't bother asking who it was, she already knew. And without waiting for an answer, Aria opened the door in her pyjamas and walked in, taking care to close the door before lying down next to her sister.

"So, talk about unexpected visits, huh?" Calliope started.

"Yeah. Fuck Cal, what are we gonna do with all this?" Aria questioned.

"We deal, we keep an eye on the others and most importantly, we're there for each other. We're gonna need all the support we can."

"How do you feel about all this? Being the one who isn't at the same school with us and all that?"  
"I'm bummed but, honestly, it's kinda for the best. Someone needs to be there for Minako and Rei and everyone's younger siblings. And honestly, I'd rather stay on Earth." Calliope smirked, "Besides, someone needs to curb Flare and Malia's blood lust in the off chance that they run into their fathers."

"Don't remind me, those two are not going to be happy about this but will be less happy if they run into Sky and Nex," Aria groaned. "It'll be a bloodbath!"

Calliope cackled at her sister's plight.

"Better you than me, Ria."

"Now I know why you're happier being on Earth," Aria sighed. "You get the piece and quiet and I get the Avatars of Slaughter running around, frothing at the mouth."

"I always thought Flare was more Desolation aligned."

"She is but, I always got the feeling she had some Slaughter in there. And maybe a touch of Hunt. But, Malia is Slaughter all the way."

"Oh heck yeah," a pause. "Why did we start defining two of our friends by way of the Magnus Archives eldritch horrors?"

"No clue. It just worked in the moment."

Calliope snorted quietly and shook her head. There was mirth in her eyes that Aria could see thanks to the enchanted blow of the stars on the ceiling.

"What do you think mom and dad are talking about?" Aria asked quietly.

"Probably getting each others opinions on the situation and coming up with some kind of battle plan to tackle the current situation. Why?"

"I can hear mom and dad talking. They seem worried about something."

Calliope cocked her head, she might not be a fairy but her hearing was still very sensitive. She could hear her parents talking in the kitchen, she could pick out individual words but not whole sentences, her parents were keeping their voices low.

"I think mom's just trying to reassure dad that everything will be alright. You know how he worries."

"I hadn't thought about that."

"We can think about this more tomorrow. I'm knackered."

Aria didn't respond, she just reached out and flicked the fan on before grabbing the sheet and draping it over her and Calliope.

"Don't hog all the sheet this time," Aria said in a way of a goodnight.

"As long as you don't drool all over me again."

...

Roy tucked Anne into bed, his daughter already sleeping peacefully. He passed by each of his children's rooms, wishing those who were still awake goodnight before heading downstairs to find his wife. He didn't have to look far, as Aisha was sitting at the end of the dock, her feet in the water as she stared out over the horison. He sat down with a sigh and leaned his head against his back. He felt Aisha rest her head on his shoulder.

"Fuck. This is a mess," Aisha said quietly.

"We did know this was coming, though," Roy said.

"Yeah. I guess I was never ready for this day to come though. Hell, I don't think any of us were prepared for this. And if Malia runs into Nex... I don't want to know what she'll do."

"Malia will have Petra to help reign in her temper. She won't do anything that'll get her into any legal trouble, she knows better than that. She might punch him but I highly doubt she'd kill him."

"Yeah, I know. Then there's my parents, Gods, when they find out, what are they gonna say, what are they gonna think? Fuck."

"They're gonna have to accept it. They won't like up but they will have to accept the fact that you had two children out of wedlock and married me."

"It's the wedlock thing that they won't be happy about. They won't care that I married you."

"I should feel offended by that statement."

Aisha giggled at his words and Roy felt a small smile cross his face. He could tell Aisha was still distressed by the situation but at least he got her to laugh. Aisha's face then fell again as she sighed:

"And then there's Anne. Andros isn't the most conservative of planets by far but, it's still set in some of the old ways. Especially when it comes to gender identity."

Roy thought of the flag on Anne's wall, the one that Malia had bought nearly four years ago. He remembered hours at the doctors and days when Anne came home crying because of someone's harsh words or being mistaken for who she wasn't. He understood Aisha's concerns regarding their youngest daughter. He knew she faced bullying and hatred from a few people at her school but facing that on a planetary scale... he shuddered. No one should have that hanging over them.

"We don't know what will happen but the best we can do for Anne is to do what we've always done for her, support her, stand by her and just be there for her. And one day, when you're queen of Andros, you can challenge those restrictions surrounding gender and gender identity."

"If I'm not disowned or replaced by another child."

"I highly doubt that, your parents are old after all."

"Those are your in-laws you're talking about, dear."

Roy snorted and shook his head, that was true. Aisha sighed, before she stood up and helped her husband to his feet.

"Come on, we should get some rest. We can come up with a plan of attack tomorrow."

Roy squeezed Aisha's hand as they walked back towards their house.

...

Violet watched her mothers at the kitchen table, she couldn't here what was being discussed but she had a feeling it revolved around what happened that afternoon. Luisa was holding Flora's hand while Flora spoke in a quiet voice. Violet nearly leapt out of her skin when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder, but relaxed when she realized it was only Erica. Izabel, Valeria and Frieda were already in bed.

"Come on Vi, let's leave mum and mamá to their conversation."

"Right."

Violet stood up and brushed the imaginary dust off her night gown as she rose to her feet. She followed Erica to her room and closed the door behind her. Erica was sitting at her vanity, having picked up a hair brush and began to brush her hair. Violet sat down in her sister's beanbag chair and felt her body relax. She stroked the top of her sister's Venus Fly-Trap, missing the succulents that were in her room.

"So Rica, what do you think of all this?" Violet asked, wanting to get directly to the issue.

"I think it's bullshit, mom and the others haven't needed to suit up for a fight in eighteen years and now they're expected to take up the mantle again, come on," Erica said darkly.

"It really makes you think what they would have done if there had been another threat to the magic dimension while mum and our aunts were still here."

"Exactly, according the Bloom, before they came around, there was the Company of Light to protect the dimension. And I'm sure there were other protectors before them, the Winx aren't the first defenders of the Magic Dimension and they certainly won't be the last ones, either."

"Do you think that _we _might be expected to become the next protectors of the universe?"

Erica paused in her brushing, slowly lowering the brush before turning to her sister, a look of pure horror on her face.

"_Oh God, _I hope not. That would get in the way of my ambitions. That would get in the way of all our ambitions. Just because we're our mother's daughters doesn't mean that we're mini versions of them."

"I'm not disagreeing Erica, it just crossed my mind that it would be something the press and the public would think if they ever found out about our parentage."

Erica looked at her sister, there was a slight wrinkle to her nose and she looked annoyed.

"You aren't just talking about mom are you? You're also talking about our sperm donor, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I mean, for the longest time, according to mom at least, the Winx and the Specialists have always gone together. What if everyone just assumes that we'll be heroes too?"

"Do you want to be a hero?"  
"No. That's not the life I want."

"Mom has always told us that we can be what ever we want. And that we don't have to follow in her footsteps."

Erica stood up and sat next to her sister, draping an arm over her shoulder. Violet shrank under her sister's arm and closed her eyes.

"Look Vi, I don't know what's going to happen. You might be right, you might not be. I don't know. But, I do know that what ever happens, I'll have your back. No matter what."

Erica's voice was firm but there was an underlying quiver to it. She was just as nervous as her sister. Violet nodded and said:

"And I'll have your back."

"Good. Come on, we'd better get some sleep."

"Can I stay tonight?"  
"Sure, just don't snore too loudly."

Violet rolled her eyes, deciding not to argue about the snoring. Denying it was a fruitless endeavor. She lay down on her sister's bed and under the covers. The lights flicked off and Erica crawled into bed next to her. There wasn't anything to do until tomorrow.

...

Helena slipped into her sister's room and leaned against the wall. Ayla was facing the window, looking outside at the stars, the glow of the moon making the blue streaks in her hair shine. Ayla was clearly meditating and taking in the light of the moon and stars. She was unsure if her sister was attempting to divine anything from the stars or if she was just partaking in a nightly ritual. Ayla then sighed and turned around, noticing her sister had entered.

"Ayla, I was wondering if you wanted to talk?" Helena asked quietly.

"Sure," Ayla approached her sister and cocked her head to the side. "Hey, you're looking kinda pale, is everything okay?"  
"I'm not doing so good. What happened at the beach this afternoon... I'm scared."

Ayla recognized the look in her sister's eyes, she'd seen it once before and had hoped never to see it again. In an attempt to get to the bottom of Helena's anxieties, gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile and said:

"Hey, it's alright to be a little worried, I am too."

"I have an entire list of things that I'm worried about. First is mom, between her upcoming show and all the shit with us going to Alfea on her plate, she is going to be stressed to high Hell. And then there's mom's friends, who knows how they're all handling this mess. And then there's our friends, I mean, they each have their own separate issues and their own opinions with this. And then there's the possibility that we'll run into our biological father. And while I'm not Flare or Malia, I don't have the same anger they do towards their genetic halves, I still don't know what I'd do if I ran into our biological father. And then there's our grandparents, our royal grandparents. We'll have to meet them officially and what if they don't like us or accept us as mom's kids because she wasn't married when she had us? I don't even know how they would take a childbirth out of wedlock! And then there's the fact that we _are_ royalty! I don't want to be a princess, the stress of those responsibilities and being such a public figure is scary! I'm stressed out by just about anything as is, I don't need that kind of stress in my life! And then there's the press! We are the daughters of the Winx Club, they are practically celebrities to the Magic Dimension! And we'll probably be hailed as the "next Winx Club" because of who our mothers are. And you know how the press is, the press is invasive as fuck and tabloids are the worst. And what if they reduce us to nothing but our mother's legacies and find that we arent' holding up to that legacy? It's just too much."

Ayla stared at her sister, a little slack jawed. She understood where her sister was coming from, having some of the same worries herself but had been unable to voice them in the same way as her sister. Helena had wrapped her arms tightly around herself, in an attempt to create comforting physical contact. Ayla wrapped her sister in a tight hug, eliciting a squeak from Helena. Ayla could feel slight tremors as Helena shook in her arms, unsure if her sister was crying or not. Ayla rubbed Helena's shoulders before resting her head on Helena's shoulder, Ayla said firmly:

"Not everything will go wrong, we don't know what's going to happen. But no matter what, we've got each other and our friends and our family."

Ayla could feel her sister begin to relax a little as she released a small sigh of what sounded like relief.

"And what do the stars say?" There was an air of teasing in Helena's voice as she asked the question.

"I don't know. I haven't checked but I don't think I need too."

That was a lie of course, Ayla had been consulting the stars before Helena had come in. She had a bad feeling that wouldn't go away since she had returned home and had hoped to divine more information from the stars themselves. But they weren't giving anything up that could be considered useful or informative. But, Helena didn't need to know that, she was anxious and stressed out enough already. Helena seemed to buy the white lie because Ayla felt her sister nod against her shoulder.

"Can I stay tonight? I don't want to be alone right now," Helena asked.

"Always," Ayla responded, memories of days before when they would share each others rooms as children.

Neither Helena nor Ayla knew what the future help but they both knew that as long as they had each other, they could face anything that was thrown at them.

...

Kali was looking for her wife, after she had changed into her pyjamas and said goodnight to her children, she had been unable to find Bloom. So, she was poking her head into each room of their house. She eventually located Bloom sitting on the back deck, leaning against the railing with a glass of water next to her. Kali went out and sat down, letting the wind ruffle her hair. Bloom let out a long, slow sigh before resting her head on Kali's shoulder.

"This is a giant ass mess, isn't it?" Kali asked

"Yeah, this is a disaster in the making. I can see it now, Flare kills Sky in a fit of rage, my parents, sister and former in-laws all freak the fuck out and I am left with a giant ass mess that can't be fixed easily," Bloom groaned.

"You've really given this some thought haven't you?"

"I've been thinking about it since Faragonda left."

"That's a long time to be thinking about this."  
"I know."

The two lapsed into silence, Bloom looked downcast and worried, leaving several worries unsaid. Kali understood, this was something she knew would inevitably happen but wasn't emotionally prepared for it. There wasn't really much that she or anyone could say to truly reassure Bloom that things were going to be okay. All Kali could do was reach out and pull her wife into a tight embrace. Bloom seemed to melt into the hug and Kali rubbed Bloom's back gently, in an attempt to remind her wife that she was there for her. Bloom's hands gripped the back of Kali's shirt. Kali eventually spoke, in a quiet voice:

"Listen Habibi, I don't know what's going to happen, I don't think anyone can know that. But what I do know is this, we are stronger together and as long as _we are_ together, we will get through this. And we will get the kids through this. And we might be able to stop Flare from killing her sperm donor. And we'll do it together."

Bloom pulled back and wiped her eyes, and gave a watery smile.

"Thanks Kali, I needed to hear that."

"You're welcome love. We should get to bed. We have a long week ahead of us."

Bloom smiled and allowed Kali to pull her to her feet. Making sure to grab her water, Bloom followed Kali back into the house. As she lay down in bed that night, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong later that week.

**Ugh, finally got this chapter done. My muse was being uncooperative. Hopefully my muse will be more cooperative for the next chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed. As always, read, like and maybe drop a review or two. And I'll see you all next time. Later, Dana.**


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